Aching Bones and Wasted Years
by liquid lily
Summary: Dumbledore's dead, the Trio's planning something, and Ginny has never felt more alone in her life. And Draco Malfoy, the conscientious Death Eater, coming to stay can only make a summer at Grimmauld worse... right?
1. All The Love That Dissapears

Aching Bones and Wasted Years

By liquid lily

Prologue: All The Love That Disappears

Ginny tossed the cap in the air for about the millionth time before expertly catching it and repeating the process again. Her eyes, like those of her brothers and two friends were glued on the door at the bottom of the stair. A number of old butter-beer caps littered the front of the kitchen door, a result of their attempts to discover that; yes, the room had been imperturbabled. On the floor above her, where Ron, Hermione and Harry sat perched by the banister, her brother let out a huff.

"This is ridiculous," he whined. "Why are they bothering with a bloody meeting anyways. We all know he's guilty!"

Hermione's immediate, "Hush, Ron," was also ignored.

Harry, predictably, remained silent.

The cap arched in the air once more, but this time George reached out to snatch it up before it could finish its pattern. He gave her an exaggerated smile when she turned to him in question and made a show of setting the cap gently on the ground. Obviously, her nervous habit had reached the point of annoyance. She shrugged and started fiddling with her fingers instead.

"I wonder who'll bunk with," Fred said suddenly. "I thought all the rooms were full up."

Something dropped from the landing overhead and Ginny and the twins all looked up to see Ron glaring down at them. "You're acting like you think they're actually going to let him stay."

Fred shrugged, and just looked back towards the door.

"It's not really up to them though, is it?" Hermione spoke suddenly. "It's Harry's house."

They all turned to look at Harry as one. He remained staring fixedly at a spot on the wall, purposefully ignoring the door that had so enthralled the rest of their attentions.

"Probably with Lupin," said George.

"What?" Ginny asked him, taking his momentary distraction as an opportunity to claim her cap again.

"Where he'll stay," George told her. "With Lupin. So he can keep an eye on him, you know?"

"Lupin's with Tonks now," said Harry, speaking for the first time since they had begun their vigil.

"Oh," said George. "Right."

Ginny began her game of toss and catch again and ran the list through her head. Her parents were sharing one room, and Lupin and Tonks another, which took care of all the adults in the house. Then there was Bill and _Phlegm_, who she absolutely could not consider adults yet, despite their impending nuptials and ages more advanced than hers. Ron was bunking with Harry per usual, and the twins had their regular room, and she, of course, was in with Hermione.

Even if he did end up staying, there would be nowhere for him to stay. All the rooms were full up. _Except Sirius' old room_, a voice in the back of her head said. She quickly forced that thought away and returned to her unthinking state once more. The cap rose up in the air, and back down into her waiting hands.

Another wave of silenced passed and then; "What do you think Harry? You were there."

Ron, of course, tactless as usual. Ginny caught the cap in her hand and clenched it in a tight fist. She could just imagine the grim look passing across Harry's features.

"I dunno," Harry answered listlessly.

Ron hissed in a sharp intake of breath, which she hoped meant Hermione had just pinched him very hard.

"If you hold that thing any tighter you're going to melt it," George told her as he laid one of his much larger hands over her fist.

Ginny looked down at it, and let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. The cap fell to the ground with a faint tin tap. George left his hand on hers and squeezed, she squeezed back gratefully.

Then all at once, the doors were open. The front hall exploded into a mass of bodies and conversation. Above them, the trio of friends scrambled to their feet. Ginny waited for Fred and George to rise and then let them pull her up between them.

The presented crowd did nothing to answer their questions. Almost each face was dour, which could mean almost anything. One face, however, stood out in the crowd. Minerva McGonagall, recently appointed Headmistress of Hogwarts stepped towards the stair, her eyes resting solely on Harry's.

"Mr. Potter?" she said, her voice rising high enough to be heard two floors above her. "May I have a word? I need to ask you a favor."

Beside her Fred gasped slightly, and somewhere above Hermione was trying to stifle a string of Ron's curses. Again Harry remained silent and Ginny watched as he made his way down the stairs towards the new Headmistress. His shoulders were dejectedly slumped, and it seemed as if he was trying very hard to keep his facial expression under control. Ginny didn't even need to look to know that his hands were forced in his pockets, and most likely clenched into white knuckled fists.

She sighed as she watched him enter the kitchen through the remaining stragglers of the ended meeting. That was it then. Draco Malfoy would be coming to Grimmauld Place.


	2. The Summer Sends Its Love To You

Aching Bones and Wasted Years

By liquid lily

Chapter One: The Summer Sends Its Love To You

Predictably he sneered and for once she didn't want to gag at the sight of it. He wasn't in his comfort zone in the dungeons of Hogwarts, nor was he backed by his lackeys; he even lacked his usual polished lock and slicked back hair. No, sitting in the kitchen at Grimmauld, surrounded by Weasleys and Order members, the trademark gesture didn't hold its usual weight.

"More potatoes, dear?" Mum asked the out of place blond boy while she held out the bowl. So far her mum had been the only one at the table to acknowledge Malfoy beyond glares and even then it was only to hoist food off on him. This time, like the others, he didn't answer. Mum retracted her offering and held it out to Ginny instead.

The kitchen was almost eerily silent. Even the normally cheerful and active Tonks was sitting stoically, her clenched jaw barely managing to chew the food she was shoving between tight lips. Remus had, Ginny suspected, a calming hand on her thigh under the table. Her dad too, had opted for reading the Evening Prophet rather than attempt conversation. She knew the rest of them were quite for a reason, but she almost longed for Phlegm's overwhelming presence at the table to take their mind off things. Unfortunately, Bill had opted to take his fiancé out to dinner.

Finally Harry's fork hit the plate with a clatter and his chair scrapped across the floor. "I'm going to the Dursley's," he announced.

The table latched onto the offered distraction desperately.

"Oh, Harry, you can't!" Hermione protested at the same time as Fred and George started emptying out their pockets for Harry's cousin.

"I promised Dumbledore I would," said Harry, quite effectively ending any further disagreements. Despite obvious efforts, eyes accordingly flickered to Malfoy before returning to Harry again. For his part Malfoy's gaze remained fixed on his plate. "I'll be back for Bill's wedding," Harry finished and then strode out the room.

Mum was on her feet in an instant, packing up as much food as possible as Ron and Hermione scrambled after Harry. "Well, best get together something for the boy to eat," she started, already getting into her usual rant about how the Dursley's treated Harry, and how he always came back to her twice as thin as he had been before.

Ginny sighed at the half empty table, but returned to shifting the food around on her plate with her fork.

Beside her, Fred and George rose from the table as one. "Well, if Harry's off, then I suppose we can leave too," George started out. "As much fun as this is, we're off to the shop."

"We've got the girls meeting us later," Fred continued, trading bawdy winks with Lupin.

Mum turned around wielding a wooden spoon dripping with gravy. "Oh no you're not, boys. I thought we agreed that you were staying here for the summer. Arthur," she glared at dad for support.

Dad shifted then licked his lips, a telltale sign that he did not agree. "Well, Molly, it is their decision now…" Mom let out an angry half huff half screech.

"No worries, Mum," said George, hitting the back of Ginny's chair as he stood. She glanced back in time to catch the hint of a glint in his eyes, and understood the message.

"Yeah, we're just having a night out," said Fred, picking up the explanation. "We'll be back later tonight. Wanna come, Gin?"

She jumped out of the chair as if shocked and made to head for the door, past her mum with both twins on her heels.

"Not so fast, Ginerva." The voice her mum used was so hard Ginny actually winced at the sound of it.

"Sorry, Gin," George whispered as he passed, clapping a hand on her back as he went.

"We needed a distraction," Fred said.

The second the twins had cleared the distance of the table Ginny whirled on her mum in a fit of passion. "Why are you always so unfair, Mum? I can take care of myself, why do you always treat me like a baby?" she screamed, trying to buy her brothers time to get out the door.

Really, she wasn't offended that the twins needed to use her. She had already known that there was no way anyone in the house would let her go anywhere, and she was always only too happy to help her brothers.

"Ginerva, you aren't as old as the twins," mum was shouting. Bits of gravy were flying off the spoon as she shook it. "You can't take care of yourself."

"I can too take care of myself!" Ginny continued, slipping into the usual argument with ease, even though it was still the first week of summer and she hadn't had any practice since Christmastime. "Don't you trust the twins to look after me? You're letting Ron and Hermione go with Harry to the Dursley's!" Ginny forced herself not to smile at that bit, really she didn't know if Ron or Hermione intended to go with Harry, or even if Harry would let them, but she knew the trio was planning something. For now though they would serve as a distraction for her, and the twins, and it served them right for not including Ginny in on their plans.

"_They're what_?" Mum shouted, dropping the spoon altogether. "Arthur, go get your son, now!"

With a sigh dad followed mum out of the room, and they could hear her stopping angrily up the stairs, and her furious yelling as she went.

Tonks clapped lightly while Lupin blew out a shallow whistle.

"Very nice work," Tonks told her with the first smile of the night.

Ginny however, didn't feel like smiling. "Whatever," she told the last remaining pair, ignoring the other occupant of the room altogether. He was still staring at the table as if completely unaware that there was anything going on around him. "I'm going to go to bed, I'll see you in the morning."

"Wait, Ginny," Lupin said as he rose from his seat. "Could you show Mr. Malfoy to his room on your way up?" he asked as he moved towards her.

Grey eyes met brown and narrowed. He sneered and looked away, but stood up anyway.

"Where?" Ginny asked, this time directing her gaze to Lupin.

The moment the pained look crossed his face; Ginny knew she wouldn't need an answer. Still she listened as he told her he would be staying in the room at the top of the stairs on the third floor.

Squaring her shoulders Ginny nodded and left the kitchen, not caring if he followed or not. Out in the hall the twins stepped out from behind the stairs and grinned at her.

"Thanks, Ginnikins," George said in a falsetto sweet voice.

"We'll bring you back a treat," Fred added as they bound past her, finally heading for the door.

"Pull the portrait curtains on your way out," she said as they moved away. "I set mum on the trio."

By the time they made it to the stairs, Mrs. Black's insults filled the house. Ginny ignored the sounds with a practiced ease, but she noticed with some satisfaction that her charge jumped slightly and had to compose himself before continuing on.

Immediately mum and dad passed them on the stairs, the former keeping up a continuous stream of voiced worries, and threats. Dad nodded as they went by, but otherwise just managed to look stressed and tired.

On the second floor Ron and Hermione were following Harry down the hall, each grin faced. Ginny paused to give her ex-boyfriend a hug goodbye and wish him luck. All three purposefully ignored the blond stranger behind her.

Finally they were standing in front of Sirius' old room. Ginny paused to take a deep breath and then opened the door.

"Do you mind, Weasley?" Malfoy hissed when she did not immediately move to allow him access to the room.

Her eyes had teared up at the sight of Sirius' old domains, which had been closed up since his death. Hurriedly she blinked the moisture away. "Right," she said and moved aside.

"What's wrong with you, anyway?" he asked, glaring at her in a manner which showed he didn't care at all, that he just wanted to make sure he didn't have an emotionally unstable girl on his hands.

"Nothing," she said, voice hardening. She sent him her own dark look. "Just…" she sighed, desperately wanting to leave him in the room alone and tell him he could rot in there for all she cared, but knowing she would still be courteous, even if he would not. "Hermione and I are across the hall if you need anything, and the twins are beside you. Lupin and Tonks are just down the hall, as is the bathroom."

He rolled his eyes and looked around the room, eyes first flickering to where, what could only be his trunk, sat at the foot of the bed. Obviously he was displeased, because the corners of his lips rose in distaste. "This is it?" he asked, taking a few more steps in. Then he turned to her and smirked. "Well, I suppose this must look like a palace to you, Weasley."

Biting the inside of her lip, Ginny forced herself to calm down before answering, but he beat her to it.

"Go away, Weasley, I want to be left alone," he said as he threw himself down on the bed.

"Gladly," she snapped and then turned on her heels and strode across the hall, not bothering to shut the door behind her. Let him get up and shut it if he wanted his privacy so badly.

The morning routines were carried out with their usual chaos the next day, and Ginny's was no different. She fought with her brothers and Hermione over the use of the shower, and then she scrambled about the room for the clothes she hadn't so much as unpacked as dumped on the floor. She was rummaging through a pile of laundry for a shirt when she uncovered Arnold and screamed.

She was at the door in an instant, a string of cures on her lips as she strode across the hall and banged on the twin's door. It wasn't long before the door swung open, but not the one she was expecting.

"Do you…" Malfoy started angrily, but then he stopped, looked down and smirked.

"What are you looking at?" she yelled back as he settled against the doorframe. He was already dressed and presentable, though she couldn't imagine when he had the chance to use the bathroom since she herself had had to wait an hour for Hermione to finish with it.

Ginny then became acutely aware that she herself was only half clothed, wearing only jeans and a colorful bra. Rather than be embarrassed she glared and placed a hand on her hip. In the other hand she still held poor Arnold.

The twins' door swung open, effectively grabbing her attention, and she focused on Fred's all too happy expression instead. "Look what you did to Arnold!" she demanded, forgetting about Malfoy and holding her shivering pet out to hopefully pander to his sympathetic side.

Fred rolled his eyes. "Lord, Gin, can't you put some clothes on? I don't need to know my sister has those." He shook his head, and made a face at her. Ginny stuck her tongue back out at him, but didn't really care what he thought. It wasn't like he didn't run around in his underwear in the morning too. Just because she had six brothers didn't mean she had to be excluded from that particular practice.

Down the hall George stuck his head out of the bathroom and took in the scene. "Mum! Ginny's walking around without her clothes again!"

If she hadn't remembered she had a living thing in her hand rather than a hard, and preferably painful object, she might have thrown Arnold at George. Even if she had, she only would have managed to hit the door since he had promptly shut it behind him again.

"Shut up!" she yelled and waited for George to open the door a creak again. "Just look at him!" Arnold's quivering form was held up again. "Change him back!"

Fred took advantage of Ginny momentarily turning her back on him to speak with George, and snapped the door shut behind her.

Ginny squealed and started banging her fist against the old wood.

"We're leaving for work in twenty, Gin," George said as he shut himself in the bathroom again. "Make sure you have some clothes by then."

Since both twins had left her alone in the hall Ginny let out another breathe of curses and threats to her idiotic brothers that made her mum yell out in protest from the floor below.

"Sorry, Mum," she yelled back, not at all apologetic, followed by. "Won't _someone_ help Arnold?"

George opened the door again, this time in a towel, and flicked his wand in Arnold's direction. The previously bald pygmy puff was suddenly wrapped in a Weasley-like sweater the color of his usual pinkish fur.

"George!" she screamed at him, suspicious that the jumper really was made of her pet's old fluff.

Instead of an apologetic grin she expected George shot a glare across the hall and pointed his wand at the still lounging form of Malfoy. "Stop looking at my sister, ferret boy," he demanded.

Malfoy raised a brow, but turned into his room anyways. "Don't worry, Weasley," he drawled, "She's not much to look at. I was just enjoying the show." The door snapped shut behind him.

George exchanged a long look with Ginny, but she just shrugged back. Rather than be embarrassed or hurt by Malfoy's comment she dismissed it for his usual, unoriginal nastiness.

"Don't think I'm done with you," she shouted at the now closing door of the bathroom. "When you get out of there I'm going to hex your balls off," her voice rose steadily as the sound of the shower being turned on echoed through the hall. A door down she thought she heard a snort, but Malfoy's door was still closed.

"_GINNY!_" mum screamed from downstairs in a voice so loud she woke Mrs. Black and caused whoever was currently in the kitchen to run to keep her quite.

"Sorry, Mum," she muttered back as she turned back to her door to finish getting ready for the day. "Sorry, Arnold," she told her sweet pet, as she laid him back in his box bed so Crookshanks couldn't get to him.

Those first few days passed almost all too quickly for Ginny's liking. The twins, and her mum, were allowing her to work in the shop in Diagon Alley during the weekdays, so most nights she found herself coming home just in time for dinner to then collapse into bed so she could wake up early and repeat the process all over again. Staying true to form Hermione and Ron spent most of their time together, and waiting for Harry to return. Tonks, Lupin, her dad and even Bill and Phlegm were rarely all present at once, but by now all the children knew better than to ask after their whereabouts. Only one person still remained a mystery to the household and that was Draco Malfoy.

Since Ginny was gone most days, she didn't know what he did during that time, but Hermione told her he almost never left his room. Interestingly enough the only person he ever held a civil conversation with was Phlegm, since apparently they had known one another during the time she had spent at Hogwarts during the Triwizard Tournament. Also, surprisingly enough, Malfoy spoke perfect French, so most of their conversations at the dinner table were carried out in a hushed, fluid language that no one else understood. It seemed to be driving Bill crazy, but Ginny thought it was rather one more reason not to like her upcoming sister-in-law.

Of course, Malfoy was hardly settling into the Grimmauld Place atmosphere with any sort of ease. He and Ron got into daily scuffles that Lupin or her mum had to break them apart from. He had also been warned against calling Hermione a mudblood, but it had already slipped a few times, causing a number of tearful arguments between her and Malfoy. It seemed as if every time he stepped out of his door chaos broke loose, but if any of the children ever brought up making him leave to the adults all they got were firm no's in return.

"It's not fair," Ginny told Hermione for the third time that night. "He's such a prat. Why do we have to be nice to him?"

They were lounging in their room, on their respected beds, with Ron stretched out on the floorboards between them reading a Quidditch magazine.

"He needs to remain in hiding," Hermione answered, just as she always did. "Harry told you that Dumbledore wanted to help him if he would have it."

"Help?" Ron snorted as he turned a page. "He doesn't act like he wants any help. He hasn't changed at all, I think it's a stupid idea letting him into headquarters like this."

Hermione shot him a glare. "He may be an ass, Ron, but he's in danger, too. His mum appealed to Tonk's mum, and begged for a safe place for him to be. The Death Eaters want him dead now just as much as they want Harry," she let out a long breath. "I feel sorry for him."

"Sorry!" said Ginny as she sat straight up. "He would have killed Dumbledore if he only had the guts!"

Hermione held up an accusatory finger. "Ah, could have, but he _didn't_."

Ginny exchanged a doubtful glance with her brother and shook her head in wonder. "I still don't see why Tonk's believed him. You see how upset she is with his presence her. He makes her sick!"

"It's not just Tonks, Ginny," Hermione protested. "Dumbledore had already addressed the Order about Malfoy months ago. You know how he is—" she exhaled and started again. "How he _was_ about this sort of thing. Dumbledore was all about second chances and learning how to trust."

In disgust Ron threw his magazine across the room and pulled himself up onto Hermione's bed. "Yeah, and we know how well that turned out the last time around."

Hermione's jaw hardened. "And I still stand by the fact that we don't know the whole story. Tonks even said that Snape was the one who told Malfoy's mum to appeal to the Tonks and the Order."

"Oh, boy," said Ginny. "Another reason to trust the git. _Snape_ told him to come here."

Her eyes lingered a moment longer on her brother and her friend. Though both were clearly worked up, Ron had his hand leaning almost casually close to Hermione's leg, and Hermione seemed a great deal more flushed than usual, and she was actually _twittering_ her fingers nervously.

Trying to decide between a groan and a smile, Ginny just settled on making an excuse to back out of the room and downstairs to help her mum with dinner. Bugger Malfoy, and bugger Hermione and Ron's stupid bloody relationship. Bugger this whole damn house, she thought as she strode out the door.

The twins were just coming up on the landing, when she stepped out into the hall, and George smiled at the sight of her.

"Ah, just the girl I wanted to see," he said, and then jerked his head toward Malfoy's door. "Fred, you take care of the git, then."

"Right-o," Fred agreed, and threw something that set off a loud noise and a great deal of sparks at Malfoy's door.

"Here," George was saying as he pulled something from the pocket of his robe. Ginny caught a flash of glass and an orange label and grinned just as Malfoy swung open his bedroom door.

"What the hell is your ruddy problem," the Slytherin yelled, his face contorted into an angry expression. George and Ginny turned slightly to see if the confrontation could turn out to be anything interesting.

Fred shrugged innocently and continued towards his room. "Mum wants you downstairs for dinner in ten."

Sneering again Malfoy turned to go back in his room and caught sight of George and Ginny still standing next to one another, and his eyes narrowed.

George snorted and turned back. "Anyway, here you go," he said and pushed the whole bottle into Ginny's hands.

She tried to push it back. "No you, idiot. Hermione," she jerked her head in the direction of the room to try to indicate she couldn't take it.

Unfortunately Hermione thought she had been calling her and strode towards the door. "What is it, Ginny?" she asked, standing in the doorframe.

Fred and George froze, while the latter shoved the bottle back in his robes.

"What was that, George Weasley?" Hermione demanded while she held out her hand. "Was that alcohol? Give it here then."

Across the hall Malfoy let out a snort, everyone ignored him.

"In case you didn't notice, Granger," George spat back, clearly unamused. "We're not at Hogwarts anymore so your prefect powers do nothing here, and we're of age."

Hermione's eyes latched onto Ginny's. "Ginny, don't tell me you're going to get involved with…with...any of _that_!"

"What's Ginny gone and done?" Ron said as he joined in the conversation just as Ginny defended herself with an, "I'm not, Hermione."

"You're brothers, Ron," Hermione said, giving the twins an evil look. "We're going to give your sister alcohol."

"What've you got then?" said Ron, in far too chipper of a voice. "Why'd you want to give it to Ginny for, she can't be drinking anything."

"Ron!" Ginny protested, deciding to take control of the situation. "I haven't done anything, the twins don't have anything and mum wants us all down at dinner!"

As if to agree with her suddenly Bill came striding up the stairs, and paused when he realized that the six of them were all standing out in the hall together. "Mum wants you all at the dinner table," then he looked around a blinked. "What's going on here?"

"Nothing," Fred said first and rather than head towards his room as he had first obviously intended he turned, passed Bill and went down the stairs. With one last long look Hermione followed, pulling Ron behind her.

George and Ginny waited for Bill to return to his own room to wake Phlegm from her afternoon nap and then George passed Ginny the bottle again.

After Ginny stashed it in the bottom of her trunk she turned out into the hall again to find Malfoy still lounging in his doorway smirking.

"What?" she snapped at him. She hated to admit it, but being in the empty hallway with him was very disconcerting.

"Nothing," he retorted, still smirking.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "What's with you? Why're you always just standing there nosing in other people's business?"

He shrugged and pushed himself off the doorframe. "It's not like theirs anything else to do in this bloody house is there?"

Down the hall a door opened and Phlegm stepped out with Bill on her heels.

"Oi, Draco," she cooed and strode forward to take Malfoy's arm and lead him downstairs while she tittered on in French.

Bill strode the few steps forward and offered his arm mockingly to Ginny. "Sister, dearest," he said as he held out the muscular appendage.

Smiling again, Ginny accepted and headed downstairs to dinner, all the while posing impressions of the enthusiastic Phlegm and broody Draco to make her favorite brother laugh.

Two days later and Ginny was asked to stop working at the shop to stay at home and plan the wedding full time with her mum and Phlegm. She had protest of course, but the other women had protested back, stating that they needed all the help they could get with the wedding only two weeks away. To Ginny's disgust and amusement Phlegm had also managed to take Malfoy under her wing to help her out with some of what she called the 'final details,' which were apparently over the other two Weasley women's heads.

Ginny might have been offended by her future sister-in-law's taste in companions if Malfoy didn't look absolutely disgusted to be there. However, she remembered, he had been doing nothing but complaining about how bored he was here since he arrived so it probably served him right.

Aside from having to share mutual space at meal times, and when working on the wedding in the parlor, Ginny and Malfoy had very little to do with one another. Actually, Malfoy and anyone had very little to do with one another. That was until one Friday night when Hermione had scurried off to Ron's room and a knock came at Ginny's bedroom door.

"Come in," she yelled out, expecting one of her brothers, or maybe even Tonks. Instead she found Malfoy once again, leaning against the doorpost, smirking at her.

Since it was already quite late Ginny had already put on her pajamas, which consisted of a pair of stolen gym shorts from one of her brothers, and one of Hermione's tank tops. She scowled at Malfoy's put together appearance and raised a brow.

"What do you want?" she asked, pulling herself up a little higher on her bed, and dropping the magazine she had been reading to the floor.

He shrugged, and came in, carefully shutting the door behind him. Suddenly alarmed, Ginny jumped out of bed and looked around the room for her wand.

"Relax, Weasley," he drawled, while he stepped a few paces into the room. "I was only going to say I saw what one of those twins gave you last week."

Ginny narrowed her eyes but fell back on the edge of her bed, abandoning her search for the wand. "So? What's it to you? You wanna tattle to my mum then?"

He scoffed, but he wouldn't turn away, Ginny caught the edge of desperation in his eyes. "No," he said finally. "I want some."

She smirked and leaned back on the bed, suddenly feeling as if the power had shifted. "Is that so? And why should I give any to you?"

For a moment it looked like he wasn't going to answer, but then finally he clenched and unclenched the hands at his side and gave her a half smile-half sneer which she took as his attempt to be polite. "Listen, Weasley," he said. "I've been cooped up in this bloody house for nearly a month now, and I think I've been pretty reasonable. I've followed all the damn rules, I haven't hexed the mudblood or pushed your brother down the stairs, or insulted your mum's cooking."

"You wouldn't," she retorted with a smile. "Insult my mum's cooking."

He rolled his eyes, and continued. "I'm bored as hell, and the most I have to look forward to all summer is planning a wedding for some French twit who's actually lowering herself to marry a _Weasley_."

"You know, Malfoy," Ginny interrupted. "If you're trying to get me to do you a favor, you're not having a very good go at it."

"I just want a drink, alright?" he huffed. "I just want to get bloody pissed so I forget where the hell I am." She was about to refuse, and maybe something of that showed on her face, because all of a sudden, his mask seemed to drop and she got a hint of real anxiety on his features. "Come on, Weasley. I, at least, get to get drunk on my own birthday."

She wanted desperately to say no, and she even tried to several times, but somehow she couldn't. How could she deny him on his birthday? It was just too sad. Grudgingly she got to her feet and went to the trunk at the foot of her bed.

"Fine," she said as she pulled out the bottle of firewhiskey. When she stood up she saw the glint of cockiness in his eyes and her own eyes narrowed. "But," she said, still holding it out of reach of his outstretched hand. "You don't get it all, I'm going to drink with you."

His features fell and the delicate sneer rose on his lips. "I didn't ask for _company_, Weasley."

"No," she answered, already wondering if this would be a bad idea. "But no one should be alone on their birthday, Malfoy," she said sweetly. "Besides," she added thoughtfully. "You've spent all summer so far cooped up in your room alone, you've got to want some change of pace, right?"

A war seemed to be waging on Malfoy's face. At one point he seemed to almost turn away as if the whole thing wasn't worth it if he had to share her company, but then Ginny held up the still full bottle tantalizingly.

"Very well," he said at last through what sounded like gritted teeth. "But not here, in my room. It's bad enough tolerating a Weasley, I won't do it for the mudblood."

Ginny had to very purposefully ignore all the insults in that sentence and calm herself down. "First off, it's not your room, Malfoy. You're just borrowing it. Second, I can't go in there its…" she paused again and shook her head. "I just can't."

"Why does everyone make such a bloody fuss about my room?" he demanded, white blond hair falling into his eyes as he shifted his stance from relaxed to threatening.

She just swallowed and shook her head again. "It doesn't matter, we can go up to Buckbeak's room then."

He immediately hesitated and grabbed his arm, at first Ginny mistook the meaning, and then she laughed. "Oh right," she amended, remembering back a few years. "Buckbeak doesn't exactly like you, does he?"

"What's that blasted thing doing here?" he practically shouted. "My father had it sentenced to death ages ago. It's supposed to be _dead_."

"Yeah, well, a lot of people who are supposed to be dead end up hiding out here," said Ginny. "And if we'll stoop to helping you, who're we to hold anything against a sweet old hippogriff?"

"_Sweet_," he hissed. "That ruddy thing _attacked_ me! It nearly _killed_ me."

Rather than answer Ginny just sighed. "Fine then, will the drawing room be more suitable for you?" When he didn't immediately protest Ginny nodded and side stepped him for the door. "Follow me."


	3. The Good Old Days

Aching Bones and Wasted Years

By liquid lily

Chapter 2: The Good Old Days

It felt odd being back in the drawing room again, since the last time she had been here had been when they had cleaned it years ago. It was nice to see that some of their efforts had held up. Although a new sheen of dust lined everything, there weren't any strange creatures trying to peek out from under artifacts, or living in the curtains. There were even a few extra additions to the room. A stack of books strewn haphazardly in one corner, a writing desk littered with crumpled up parchment and even what Ginny suspected to be a chew toy on the floor. She decided not to think about that last bit.

Malfoy of course eyed the entire thing with distaste and examined each old chair with disgust before finally settling on the stiff wooden one at the writing desk. Ginny rolled her eyes at him and pulled two abandoned tumblers from the top of the coffee table.

"Do you mind?" she asked, holding the glasses out to him.

He made a show of rolling his eyes, but sent a quick "_Scorgify_," anyway.

She poured out two hefty measures of the amber liquid and passed him his share. Then she collapsed on the couch, tucking one leg under the other and settled back.

"So…" she started, but then quit after he sent her a glare.

Another series of quite minutes passed. Ginny sipped at her drink and watched one of the portraits on the wall snoring.

"You could at least try and be nice," she said after getting bored with the portrait.

He blinked at her. "But I'm not nice," he said.

She snorted and looked into her glass as she took another sip. "No kidding." She pulled her feet out from under her and stretched her legs out, taking the opportunity to wiggle her toes into the carpet. "Then at least you don't have to be so…boring."

The comment seemed to amuse him; he glanced at her and smiled. "Am I boring you, Weasley? I seem to recall not wanting to having anything to do with you."

Ginny watched him for a long moment and studied the way he held the glass and brought it resentfully to his lips. He seemed to take no joy in the act, and only passed as sullen for something he had supposedly wanted to do very badly.

"It's not your birthday, is it?" she said after another few minutes.

He glared at her and took a long sip of his whiskey, but did not answer. It was confirmation enough.

Cynically Ginny shook her head and slammed her glass down on the table beside her. "You're a piece of work, do you know that? You didn't have to lie, you could have just asked like a decent human being."

He raised a brow, but didn't even glance in her direction.

"Don't you have anything to say?" she asked harshly.

"Would it make a difference if I did?" he responded. "You wouldn't have given me what I wanted, and there's nothing I can say to defend myself since you've already condemned me. So, you may as well pour me another," he held out his already empty glass and shook it in expectation.

Ginny opened her mouth to release a torrent of anger, and then promptly shut it. He was right really, there was no sense in starting a scene. Instead she poured him another glass and topped her own off without saying anything at all.

He pulled back his glass thoughtfully and let his eyes rest on her for a moment before he shook his head and reclined back in his chair again.

The silence settled on them once more, each relaxed into their own thoughts. After another glass though, Ginny grew tired dwelling on what remained in her head so she grabbed the nearest book off of the nearest pile. It ended up being about blood curses from the 1500s, but she read the first few chapters anyways, since she was unlikely to find anything more conventional in this house. Briefly she wondered who had pulled it from the shelf to begin with, but sometimes these things were better left unknown.

On her fourth glass Ginny decided to taper off. If the spinning in her head was any indication, she would probably be able to slide with only a mild hangover for the first part of the morning tomorrow, but only if she stopped now. Besides if she lingered much longer Hermione was likely to notice her absence. Malfoy, however, showed no signs of slowing and was consuming the whiskey at a rate twice as fast as her. After his second glass he had stopped asking directly for refills and began pouring his own. After his sixth he started pacing the room and flicking through parchments and watching the movements of the paintings that hung on the wall. For the most part, Ginny ignored him, until he came to the tapestry.

"Your family's near the bottom right, I think," she said when she noticed him searching through the names with one finger pressed against the material.

He turned towards her swiftly, and the sneer he gave her was less sharp than usual. "I know where it is," he said, but when he turned back his finger moved to the bottom corner to undeniably trace the names of his family members.

"My grandfather was only seventeen when my mother was born?" he said in a horrified voice.

Ginny looked up and somehow managed to suppress a giggle. She too had spent some time going over the tapestry, and had had one particularly amusing conversation with Tonks one afternoon about the age of her grandfather.

"It's worse," said Ginny. "He was only thirteen when Bella was born."

Malfoy let his hand drop and he turned to her. "Why did you call her that?"

"What?" Ginny asked, surprised that he was suddenly paying attention to her again. He had seemed so intent on pretending that she didn't exist.

"Why did you call her Bella?" he asked again.

Ginny thought about it and then finally shrugged. "I don't know, I guess because that's what Sirius called her."

"Sirius Black," said Malfoy as he returned to his seat.

"Yes," said Ginny. "Sirius Black."

With a snort Malfoy dismissed that trail of conversation and reached for the bottle again. There was only enough to fill his glass halfway that time.

"Well, that looks like its bedtime then," said Ginny, only feeling slightly warmer than usual.

Malfoy glared angrily at the glass, but downed it all in one go anyway. "Isn't there any more?" he asked.

A little angrily, Ginny snatched his glass and the empty bottle back and placed both on the table to be dealt with later. "Isn't it enough that you drank what little bit I had?"

Brow furrowed he glared at her. "And what would you have done with it?"

She pursed her lips. "I was going to save it for _my_ birthday actually," she said. "Unlike you, mine really is coming up, and I thought it might make a nice treat."

At least, she thought, he had the common decency to look slightly abashed now, though he hid it quite well.

"C'mon then," she said. "Before Remus comes home and wants his own nightcap."

He perked up slightly at that and rose to follow her. "So, there is more in this place then."

"I don't see any reason to share with you," she said snidely, not bothering to wait for him to catch up. Though when she caught sight of him in her peripheral she had to stifle a giggle. He was tottering along well enough, but even she could see the hunch his usually smooth gait had taken on. "Besides it doesn't look like you need anymore."

He drew up beside her and shot her a glazed glare. "And you're doing so well?"

With a laugh and motioned him towards his door. "Better than you, at least."

Though he didn't seem to enjoy being told what to do by her, Malfoy followed her pointed finger and opened the door to his room. "You sure there's nothing left?"

Ginny stopped with her hand on her own door and turned to look at him. His hair had fallen listlessly around his eyes, and his generally stiff posture had taken on a desperate droop. "Why do you want it so badly?" she asked.

"I want to forget," he said in a small voice.

Briefly Ginny closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Sometimes she really wished that she had feelings as brash as Ron's. "Alright," she said when she opened her eyes again. "If I do you a favor will you do something for me?" she asked.

Immediately his eyes narrowed. "What do you want, Weasley?"

The drunken slur over the harsh words did nothing to threaten and instead Ginny just smiled and strode forward. "Nothing much, Malfoy," she said. "Just say you'll be nice to my mum."

He stepped aside as she pushed her way into his room. "Why'd you want me to do that?"

"Because she's a nice woman and she's only trying to help you," she said. "Also because if you actually do insult her cooking she'll be heartbroken over it, and I don't want her to get hurt over the likes of you." She turned to him with a twist on her lips to see if she had offended him.

She hadn't. He just shrugged and stepped into the room. "Fine, now is there any more?" he asked.

"Of course," she said, and then she turned back to the room. It was the first time she had stepped foot in Sirius room since he had been alive that summer they had spent here. Underneath Malfoy's surprising clutter it looked much the same as ever. Sirius hadn't been very neat either.

Trying to remember how the room used to look when Sirius had been living in it Ginny turned and spotted the familiar looking writing desk in the far corner, just under the window. Besides being a bit of a packrat Sirius had also been extremely secretive. Whether it was a trait that he had picked up after his stint in Azkaban, or something he always had, Ginny did not know, but she had been privy to a few of his secret hiding spots. He had always told her that a girl in a family liked hers need a few private vices that he would be all too happy to supply.

"Here," she said, striding towards the desk and sitting in the stiff chair. She pushed aside a few pieces of parchment Malfoy had scattered across the desk as well as a stack of books on Potions ingredients and examined the unblemished wood.

"What're you—" he said until she placed her palm down on the cleared off desktop.

"I solemnly swear I am up to no good," she said and instantly the desk parted into two doors revealing a secret dip in the desk.

Malfoy strode up behind her and leaned over her. "I think that will do the job," he said, pulling a bottle of red wine from the confines.

While Malfoy examined the label with a critical eye Ginny stood up and headed straight for the door. The slightly alcoholic fog had allowed her to step into the room at all, but after seeing something so privately Sirius she just wanted to get out.

"I'll leave you to it then," she said as she retreated. "See you in the morning."

Without waiting to hear if he had a reply Ginny shut his door behind her and ran out into the hall, directly into Hermione.

"What on earth are you doing in there?" she asked, slightly appalled.

Ginny just rolled her eyes and held up a palm. "Please," she said. "Don't ask."

"Okay," the other girl said, not feeling the need to press the issue. "Just as long as you're alright."

She nodded and bypassed Hermione in favor of her room and her warm bed. While she still had the advantage of the slight buzz in her blood she wanted to fall asleep with it calming her. Unfortunately for her Hermione wanted to talk.

"Do you think you're brother will ever really tell me how he feels?" Hermione asked as she changed into her pajamas.

Ginny, who was climbing into bed, shrugged. "I don't know, probably not. He's smart like that."

For some reason Hermione did not see the humor in Ginny's statement and decided not to laugh. "Well, it's just that he seems to genuinely care about me, but every time I hint at—"

"He turns bright red and starts to stutter?" Ginny supplied.

Hermione paused in her pillow fluffing and stared at her. "Oh, come on Ginny, that's not very nice."

Laughing, Ginny fell back onto the bed. "No, Hermione, but he's my brother, what did you expect? Siblings are _supposed_ to rib on each other."

As if mulling it over Hermione's lips twitched. "I guess, I just don't think it's very polite."

"Polite doesn't have anything to do with it, Hermione!" said Ginny as she shook her head. "Look, he's my brother, I love him, but he's not really good with feelings, you know? If you want him to tell you how he feels, which you're right, I'm sure he does care about you. But if you want him to express that in words, you'll probably have to prompt him first, because you can bet he's not going to think it up all on his own."

"Mind if I turn out the light?" Hermione asked.

"No, go ahead," said Ginny.

"_Nox_," said Hermione.

They lay in the dark.

"You know you do the same thing," Hermione said after a minute.

"Do what?" asked Ginny, though she had debated for several seconds on whether she should ask. All she wanted to do was fall asleep before the easy buzz wore off, and she knew all Hermione wanted to do was gab. Despite her better knowledge, she couldn't resist knowing what Hermione had to say about her.

"Look how long it told you to tell Harry about how you felt."

Ginny started into the darkness. "What are you talking about?" she shouted to the ceiling. Then, even though she knew Hermione couldn't see her, she sat up and looked in the other girl's direction. "I slipped in butter the first time he came to the Burrow, I wrote him a singing Valentine the first year we went to school together, I all but threw myself at him and told him I was desperately in love with him. Its not the same at all."

"It is," Hermione insisted in way to calm a voice. "The whole summer he stayed at your house that first year, you never spoke to him, you signed your valentine as a secret admirer, and even though I'm sure he knew you fancied him, you never directly told him did you?"

Though she desperately wanted to deny it Ginny couldn't. "Yeah, well…" she fumbled. "You told me not to!" There, she thought somewhat smugly, Hermione couldn't argue with that. "You told me Harry would come to his senses eventually, you told me to wait, see other guys and some day Harry would come around."

"And he did," said Hermione. "So, I was right."

"Yes!" Ginny hesitated, what had she just agreed with? "I—I mean no—I think, wait," she scanned back over the last minute of conversation. "I mean, yes you're right he did come around, but the only reason I didn't tell Harry I fancied him was because you told me not to."

"So, why did you listen to me?" Hermione asked.

"Because!" Ginny shouted. "You're one of Harry's best friends, I figured you'd know a bit about it."

"Exactly," said Hermione. "Which is how I know that he's not ready to give up on you."

"Wait—" Again, Ginny was forced to review Hermione's point. Somehow she seemed to be missing all the important bits, and she doubted it was only the slightly tipsy sensation that was making it so difficult to follow this conversation. "What does that have to do with anything?"

The bed across the room squeaked, Hermione was probably shifting her weight, or sitting up, Ginny couldn't tell which. "Well, I know you've been hiding it very well, but you haven't really been acting like yourself since summer started."

"My boyfriend dumped me to go save the world," Ginny commented dryly. "Considering he's quite likely to get himself, my brother and my best friend killed in the process I think I have the right to be a little edgy."

Hermione snorted. "Of course, Ginny, I wasn't implying that you shouldn't be at least a little upset," she paused a moment in quite. "By the way, I hardly think any of us are going to end up dead," another silence passed. "And I am very flattered you consider me your best friend."

"You know that, Hermione," said Ginny, suddenly feeling very connected to her even though just a second ago she had been wishing that Hermione had stayed at her own home for the summer.

"Anyways," Hermione continued on, all business again. "I only meant that I have noticed that you're upset, _and even though I know you have every right to be_," she amended when she heard Ginny's squeak of protest. "I still don't like seeing you unhappy and I wanted to cheer you up a little."

"So, you go about that by implying in a roundabout way that I am like Ron so I never told Harry how I felt about him, but it's okay because he probably won't be die in this war and he'll come back to me when it's over?"

"Er—" said Hermione. "Something like that, I think." The covers on the other bed rustled again. "I just wanted to tell you that Harry's not handling this breakup well either, and I know he misses you."

"Then why did he break up with me in the first place?" Ginny asked rhetorically then when she remembered with whom she was speaking to she added. "Don't answer that, I know why… I'm just being a bitter ex, I guess."

Hermione stayed quite for another minute, before the urge to speak overtook her again. Ginny took the opportunity to lie back down in her sheets and try and get comfortable.

"Well, I didn't really mean that you're always like Ron," she said, returning to their earlier topic. "I mean, no you never did tell Harry how you felt, but you're not nearly as shy as Ron."

"What are you talking about?" said Ginny. "Didn't you hear the part about where I fell into butter in front of Harry and refused to speak to him for years? What is that supposed to be?"

"Okay," said Hermione. "You were a little shy around Harry at first, but then after you were never shy around anyone ever, even Harry. Then Harry started to notice you because you were so outgoing and energetic, I mean everyone at school can't help but like you."

The last bit was added on with somewhat of a jealous tone, but Ginny decided not to comment on it. They had had the popularity conversation many times over.

"You think Harry's regretting breaking up with me then?" Ginny asked instead.

"I think so," said Hermione. "Though you know with Harry it can be so hard to tell."

"Not like with Ron, huh?" Ginny said, eliciting a laugh from the other girl.

"He can get rather emotional, can't he?" she said.

Ginny smiled into her pillow and let out a breathy chuckle. "I'm afraid that goes for all the Weasleys."

"You think I should just tell Ron how I feel then?" Hermione asked though she sounded like she had already made up her mind.

"How do you feel about my brother?" Ginny asked. She felt she already knew, but Hermione was right in one respect. People did like to hear things aloud sometimes.

"I fancy him," Hermione said in a very small voice. "A lot," she sighed. "How do you feel about my best friend?"

Ginny squeezed her eyes tightly shut. "I fancy him," she all but whispered. "A lot."

"He'll come around," Hermione said, but her voice was sounding more and more like a whisper.

"Maybe," said Ginny.

Though the beginning of her week hadn't been anything more than routine, Friday brought one of Ginny's favorite surprises in the form of her older brother.

"Charlie!" she squealed when he popped out of the grate in the kitchen during dinner.

"Baby sister!" he mimicked to her, as she ran in for a hug.

Behind her the rest of her family were calling out their greetings, but Ginny reached him first and took comfort in his arms and in the faint smoky smell that was Charlie Weasley.

"I missed you," she told his chest while he gave her one final squeeze.

"I missed you too, Gin-girl," he said, seriously this time.

Ginny stepped aside and made room for her mum who immediately monopolized Charlie and somehow managed to knock the wind from him even though he was well over a head taller than her.

"Bring us anything interesting?" Fred asked after everything settled down and Charlie had been given a plate and a seat at the table.

"For you?" Charlie scoffed while the twins looked eager. "Hardly." Then he glanced across the table at her. "But I did bring Ginny an early birthday present since I won't be around for the party."

"You won't?" Ginny pouted at first, until she realized that that meant she would get a present nearly a month early. "A present!"

Charlie chuckled. "I thought that might interest you." He leaned back in his chair and dug into his coat pocket for a small, neatly wrapped red package. He threw it across the table at her, and Ginny caught it easily. "You can open it later and tell me how I'm your favorite brother."

"But you are my favorite brother," Ginny giggled earning her an elbow in her ribs from both George on one side and Bill on the other. Across the table both Fred and Ron glared at her.

"You've got six of us you know," Bill growled at her in a mock angry fashion. "Can't you wait until we give you our presents before you declare rank?"

"Well, you give me my present a month early and then we'll talk," teased Ginny.

"I've got Harry's present, too," Charlie said as he looked around the vast crowd in the kitchen. "I thought he was supposed to be here this summer?"

At the head of the table mum snorted her disapproval loudly. "He's taken it into his head to stay at round with the muggles until the wedding."

"Ah," said Charlie, clearly noticing he had stumbled onto some hostile feelings. Ginny watched as his eyes roved for some viable distraction. "Hey, Tonks! Can you still do that McGonagall impersonation?"

With a minimal about of discussion on touchy subjects they made it through another dinner, mostly due to the fact that Tonks kept them all entertained with an disturbingly accurate McGonagall and the pudding that exploded all over the bottom half of the table. Her parents, Bill, Fleur, Hermione, and Remus ended up getting hit, though the twins apologized profusely to Remus whom, they said, was unfortunately sitting in the target zone. Then the both apologized to Malfoy for not being able to hit him, since he was, unfortunately not sitting in the target zone.

Half of the table had to scramble off to get cleaned up and Malfoy decided to retreat back up to his room leaving the rest of them to clean up the mess in the kitchen.

"Who's that kid?" Charlie asked when everyone else had vacated the room and the twins were standing on the table trying to figure out how to unstuck the globs from the ceiling.

"Who?" Ginny asked immediately, not even considering the question.

"He means Malfoy," Tonks supplied, helping them collect the dishes.

"Right," said Charlie. "He's not your boyfriend is he?"

Both Tonks and Ginny giggled at the suddenly menacing look on Charlie's face.

"Hardly," Ginny scoffed. "I think I have better standards than that."

Charlie nodded in relief. "Good, besides, I thought I heard you were finally with Harry."

Suddenly Tonks became overly interested in a nick in one of the goblets and turned away.

"No," Ginny said as clearly as she could. "Not anymore. I'm quite single at the moment actually, so no worries there."

There was an awkward pause, but then Charlie clapped her on the back happily. "That's good news for a big brother then! You can't imagine what it does to hear about your baby sister dating when you're halfway across the world and can't beat any of the bloody mongrels into a pulp for even looking at her."

"Romania is hardly halfway around the world," George commented as he hopped down from the table.

"Besides," Fred added, following his twin. "The rest of us are right and handy here in the neighborhood. If we hear of any funny business you can bet we'll all be knocking down his door."

Charlie smiled at them, though Ginny wasn't finding anything to be pleased about. "Don't forget," he said. "I've got about a dozen dragons at my disposal who can always sweeten the deal."

"What deal?" Ginny asked. "You make it sound like a contest or something." No one listened.

"Yeah," said George. "And we've got two jokes shops stocked full of products guaranteed to frighten and traumatize."

"No one needs any traumatizing," Ginny tried to tell them. Again no one listened. Though Tonks did have the decency to shoot her a sorrowful look.

"No worries, Ginny," Tonks told her while the boys amused themselves with describing the most torturous ways they could scare boys away from her. "It's just the way brothers act. They've got your best interests at heart really."

Ginny stomped her foot petulantly to catch Charlie's attention, he turned and regarded her with an amused look. "If you've got all of this revenge energy built up then how come none of you never applied it to _Phlegm_?"

All three of her brothers paused with raised eyebrows, showing just how closely they were all related. Tonks giggled at the picture they created, and then went back to the dishes.

"Gin," Charlie reasoned seriously. "Fleur's gorgeous, why would I want to try and get rid of her?"

"Uh, yeah," Fred added while George nodded emphatically. "She's an absolute knockout."

"Veela blood," George finished. "Makes her irresistible."

Ginny snorted at them and shook her head. "Never mine, forget I asked. I forgot you were _male_."

"I should hope so!" Charlie cried out as he puffed out his chest. "Now come on men let's go do manly things and leave the women to the cleaning and woman work."

If Ginny had a wand that she was legally able to use she would have let them have it, luckily for her (quite unluckily for her brothers) Tonks did have a wand she could legally use _and_ she was an Auror. All it took was a couple of well-placed spells and then all of a sudden all three boys were promising to finish up everything and that Tonks and Ginny should just go upstairs and relax. George, who hadn't taken very well to the Cheering Charm, suggested a bubble bath with a painfully large smile on his face. Ginny, in what she felt was a wise decision, refused the tube of what he promised was bubble bath.

"I don't think it's usually that violent of an orange," said Tonks as they walked up the stairs.

"No," said Ginny in regards to the bubble bath. "Or quite so viscous."

"Ah, well. It will probably do wonders for the dishes," said Tonks.

Ginny thought for a second. "Do you think it made the goblets tap dance? Only I thought that I saw one doing a pirouette on the countertop before it broke all over the floor."

"Mmm mmm," Tonks hummed in disagreement as she raised a finger. "That one was me, it was just spinning."

"Good to know," said Ginny.

"So…" Tonks stalled. "You sure you don't want your brothers to go after any guys for you… say… you're ex maybe?"

Ginny laughed darkly. "I think the Death Eaters have that covered thanks," she said."

Somehow Tonks managed to trip onto the landing in surprise. "Er—sorry that was in bad taste wasn't it? I only meant that maybe… someone could help screw his head back in place."

"Thanks, Tonks, but I think that's something he has to do for himself," said Ginny.

Tonks righted herself and continued with Ginny down the hall. "Well, if you want to talk to anyone about it I've built up my own well of experience with setting self righteous men back on the right path."

"Oh," said Ginny a little guilty now for trying to brush Tonks off. She really hadn't considered the Auror's own trouble with Remus, but if anyone knew how Ginny felt right now it was probably Tonks. "I'll do that Tonks, thanks."

It was perhaps very lucky that the days leading up to Bill's wedding were so nice, and that her family and friends spent their days comforting her because the day that Harry returned things took a dramatic slide for the worse.

Harry showed up the morning before the wedding and at first it felt like the mood was light and joyous. As usual, Harry came from the Dursley's just happy to be back around people who cared about him, but more importantly he seemed to have dropped his cold front towards Ginny. The new warmth around him even went as far as to raise his attitude around Malfoy. Rather than being disgusted and outwardly hostile around him, Harry simply ignored his existence, the favorite method of the other inhabitants of Grimmauld Place.

As happy as Ginny had been to see Harry and his happy demeanor she had wished he hadn't caught her surprised, in the kitchen for breakfast, still dressed in her pajamas.

"Harry!" she cried, just glad to see him that her still somewhat unfriendly feelings remained subdued.

He smiled at her and even got up from his seat between Ron and Hermione to give her a lingering hug.

"I missed you," she said as she smiled into his shoulder, reveling in feeling him close to her again.

"Me too, Gin," he told her before they broke apart and rejoined her brothers at the table.

Ginny sat beside Fred and George, and was careful to swipe a sticky bun from each of their plates as she did so. "Where's mum?" she asked, inquiring after the only one in the house who wouldn't be at work on a Friday morning.

"She wanted to take Charlie off Diagon Alley to get his hair cut for the wedding," Fred supplied.

"No!" Ginny gasped. "Charlie's agreed to cut it?"

"Trim it only," said Harry with a wide smile. Ginny smiled back, Harry had once told her how cool he thought Charlie was for having long hair that he refused to cut.

"So, why is he going to Diagon Alley?" she asked.

Hermione started giggling. "Mrs. Weasley seemed to think that if Charlie saw 'all the other young wizards getting their hair cut short and stylishly' he'd be jealous and want it done too," she said in a poor imitation of mum, though wisely, no one told her this.

"How much do you want to bet that mum pays the styling witch to cut off the ponytail behind Charlie's back?" George asked the table.

The all snickered for a moment and threw together suggestions on what mum was willing to put on the line to get Charlie to cut his hair when suddenly the laughter died. Ginny didn't even need to look up to find out why everyone was silent and immersed in their breakfasts and why the twins were rolling their eyes and making exaggerated faces at the rest of them that could only mean trouble.

Malfoy took his seat without making a sound, and once his plate was piled full and he could safely be ignored again they all resumed their prior conversation.

"Still, I don't think Charlie's going to cut it at all," said Ron, standing by his argument. "He wouldn't. He was only trying to make her feel better."

"Well," Hermione reasoned. "He did tell Mrs. Weasley that he was willing to loose the earring for the wedding photos."

"But what about the tattoos?" Fred asked his twin in a low voice.

Harry let out a loud burst of laughter. "No way, since when does Charlie have tattoos?"

The Weasley children looked at each other and shrugged. "I dunno," said Ginny. "Since Hogwarts at least. You should have seen mum when she found out, I don't think I've ever seen her so mad," she took a sip of pumpkin juice and thought about her mum's anger. "Except for when you guys blew off the roof," she corrected herself.

"Naturally," said George while Fred nodded furiously.

Hermione made a distasteful _tisk_—ing sound. They all turned to look at her.

"I think he looks ridiculous with all that," she said. "At least the tattoos aren't visible."

"Ah, but they're wicked," said George. "He's got them across his side."

"Probably the only reason mum doesn't make more of a big deal is because they're hidden," said Fred. "But I think he got a new one last month."

"So did your mum freak out then too?" Harry asked.

"She doesn't know, he was saving that one until after the wedding," said Ginny.

Her brothers glared at her. "He is? How d'you know?" Ron asked suspiciously.

"Easy," she said snapping off a bite of bacon. "He told me so."

"Why'd he tell you?" Fred wanted to know.

"Because," said Ginny with a proud smile. "I'm his favorite."

The twins had the good grace to shrug and return to their breakfast, but Ron scowled at her in annoyance. "Just 'cause you're the girl," he mumbled to himself.

"Right," said Ginny as she rolled her eyes. She looked around the table. Everyone was pretty much done eating, well, except for Ron and also Malfoy who had only just joined the table. She stood up to start clearing some dishes away by hand.

"No worries, Gin," said Harry as he watched her stand. "I've got it." He pulled out his wand and started sending the dirty dishes to the sink over Ginny's head.

She smiled gratefully to him and sat back down. "Thanks, Harry," she said."

Harry smiled and started to set his wand down then he stopped and gave her an odd look from across the table. "Ginny," he said in a strange voice. "Are those my pants?"

Absently she glanced down at the tartan sweats she was wearing as pajama bottoms. "Hmm, yeah I guess they are, why? D'you want them back?" Then without waiting for a reaction she stood up, released the string at the waist and let them fall. The protest was immediate.

All of her brothers let out either a groan or a curse and turned their heads away. Or, in Ron's case, brought his hands up to his face so fast he poked himself in the eye with his fork. Hermione however, merely turned her head with a sigh and Harry just wrinkled his nose and sort of squinted politely. Malfoy, she noted, didn't so much as blink.

She reached around her ankles for the cloth.

"Christ, Ginny, we do _not_ need to see this, put your clothes back on!" George yelled, followed quickly by the rest of her brothers' encouragements for her to remain dressed.

"She's wearing shorts," Hermione commented to her empty plate, as Ginny sat back down and tossed the trousers over the table to the blushing Harry.

The boys quickly recovered, but then Fred started narrowing his eyes at her. "Hey," he said pointing to her lower half. "Those are my boxers. I knew I shouldn't have let you do my laundry, you thief."

She raised a brow at him. "Well, I'd give these back to you now if you like, but I'm afraid I really haven't got anything underneath this time." Then as if to act out the threat she stood up again and instantly the table cleared of all male Weasleys. Harry only lingered for an extra moment with his hands splayed across his eyes to toss her the discarded pants and tell her to keep them.

Ginny chuckled as she caught the fabric and watched the boys vacate the kitchen. She turned to Hermione, letting her eyes glaze past the still present Malfoy. "What prudes," she said with a giggle. Then she held up the bottoms. "But hey, free pants!" She stood up long enough to pull them back down then fell back into her seat heavily.

"When are you going to stop trying to embarrass them?" Hermione sighed with a resisting smile. She shook her head as if displeased and then stood. "I'll go fetch them back before your mum comes home and realizes they've all run off. By the way," she added, pointing to Ginny's chest as she backed away from the table. "That's my shirt."

"Oh, so now you want this, do you?" said Ginny and then laughed as her friend shook her head again and headed out of the room. With all traces of pleasant company gone Ginny turned and glared at Malfoy. "What do you want?"

He was smirking hugely now. It looked like he had never been more pleased in his twisted way. "You heard Granger, she wants her top back," he settled back in his chair, kicked his feet up on the table and nodded as if giving her permission to continue.

"I was joking, Malfoy," she responded dryly.

His eyes sparkled. "I wasn't." He rested his head against the back of the chair and continued to leer.

"Why, Drakie," Ginny giggle flirtatiously, startling him out of his pose. "I'm so flattered," she held a hand against her chest and she had seen Pansy Parkinson do around him so often. To set it off she leaned forward in her chair, squeezed her arms together to accent her chest and fluttered her eyelashes. "Why didn't you just tell me you wanted me to take my clothes off and throw myself at you?"

Malfoy made a gagging noise and turned away as if in disgust. His booted feet fell to the floor and he opened his mouth as if retching. "Please don't make me sick," he said.

By the time he shuddered and looked up again Ginny was smiling at him in mock awe. "Did I just hear you correctly?" she asked, ignoring his suddenly panicked look as he tried to recap his last words. "Did Draco Malfoy just say _please_?"

Realizing his error, Malfoy straightened and scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous, Weasley," then he smirked. "Though I admit, it's about time you recognized what an honor it would be to…as you put it…throw yourself at me." His lips twisted into a grin.

"Notice my enthusiasm, Malfoy," she deadpanned.

Then, still obviously pleased with himself, he reached out for the grapes in the bowl at the center of the table, plucked one, popped it in his mouth and promptly turned into a ferret.

Ginny dissolved into laughter, and smacked the table startling the furry rodent now scrambling about on the table top amidst the breakfast food and dirty dishes. Unfortunately the spell was short lived; only about as quick as it took for a Canary Cream to finish it's effects. Then the ferret disappeared and produced a full sized Draco Malfoy on top of the table on all fours. As if acting on cue Mum walked in and gave the startled boy on the table a confused look.

"Draco, dear," Mum said. "I don't know what you're doing, but I think you're getting your robes all dirty. Would you mind putting the rest of the dishes in the sink when you're…" she scrambled for the appropriate term. "…Finished?"

Throwing Ginny a hateful look Malfoy slid off the table as quickly as possible and slunk back into his chair.

"You'll learn," gasped Ginny between giggles. "You must always be careful when you touch or eat anything in a house that contains the twins. Besides," she laughed again. "They developed that just for you, they've been trying to get you with that one for weeks! They'll be sorry to hear they missed it."

"What's that, Ginny dear?" Mum asked when she turned back from the pantry where she was unloading the groceries.

"Nothing, Mum," said Ginny sweetly. "Where's Bill?"

Mum's mouth formed a thin line. "Checking on Verity at the twin's store to make sure she can hold things down for the weekend, and then he said he had some shopping to do."

"I'm guessing he didn't get his hair cut then?" asked Ginny.

Mum didn't answer at first. She was looking over at Malfoy. Her eyes lit up and smile spread over her lips. "No _he_ wouldn't…"


End file.
